WEBVTT CHARLESTON POLICE OFFICER MICHAEL SLAGER TO 20 YEARS INPRISON.JOE RIPLEY, TONIGHT, WITH THEIMPACT OF THE DEATH, OF WALTERSCOTT.JOE: A GUILTY PLEA AND SENTENCEFOR THE POLICE OFFICER WHO SHOTAND KILLED WALTER SCOTT.>> NOT ONLY DID WE GET JUSTICETODAY, BUT THE TRUTH WAS TOLD.JOE: A FAMILY VINDICATED.>> I'M FAR FROM THAT REALITY.JOE: MICHAEL SLAGER WILL SPENDTHE NEXT 20 YEARS IN PRISON.BUT NOT ALL FEEL THAT A JUDGESERVED JUSTICE TO THE FULLEST. >> HE DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING BUTA BROKEN TAILLIGHT AND HE'SRUNNING FROM THE POLICE, AND YOUSHOOT HIM IN THE BACK 5 TIMES.JOE: GREENVILLE COUNTY NAACPPRESIDENT REVEREND J.M. FLEMMINGWANTED A STRONGER SENTENCE.>> IF SCOTT KILLED A POLICEOFFICER, WE NATURALLY KNOWTHAT'S A LIFE SENTENCE.THAT'S A DEATH SENTENCE.>> WE'RE HELD TO A HIGHERSTANDARD, AND POLICE OFFICERSSHOULD BE HELD TO A HIGHERSTANDARD.JOE: PICKENS COUNTY FRATERNALORDER OF POLICE PRESIDENT J.B.KELLEY SAYS HE CAN'T JUDGESLAGER'S ACTIONS.>> NOT KNOWING WHAT HIS THOUGHTPROCESS WAS AT THE TIME WHENTHIS OCCURRED, I CAN'T GIVE ANOPINION AS FAR AS RIGHT ORWRONG, BECAUSE I WASN'T THERE.JOE: HE TELLS ME OFFICERSUSUALLY DON'T REACT WITHOUT APURPOSE.>> IT'S TRAGIC THAT SOMETHINGLIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED BOTH TO ACITIZEN AND A POLICE OFFICER.THAT'S WHY AS OFFICERS, WETRAIN, RE-TRAIN, AND TRAIN MOREEVEN IN OUR LOCAL DEPARTMENTS.AND IN TRAGEDY.I THINK THAT THIS WILL ENHANCETHE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THECOMMUNITY AND POLICE OFFICERS.JOE: AND FLEMMING SEES PROGRESS.

Local community leaders are responding to the sentencing of a former South Carolina police officer. A federal judge sentenced Michael Slager to 20 years in prison.

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The former North Charleston police officer learned his fate two years after he shot and killed Walter Scott during a traffic stop.

“Not only did we get justice today, but the truth was told,” Scott’s brother Anthony said.

Witness video shows Scott running away from Slager. The video then shows Slager pulling out a gun and shooting Scott five times in the back. Slager pleaded guilty to violating Scott’s civil rights.

“Today is a historic day for civil rights,” Scott family lawyer L. Chris Stewart said.

Greenville County NAACP President J.M. Flemming believes the judge should have handed down a stronger sentence.

“Some justice is better than no justice,” Flemming said. “All the police officers are not acting according to the law and not in our best interests. But they aren’t prosecuted to the maximum.”

Flemming says if Scott and Slager had switched roles, the sentence would have been more severe.

“If Scott killed a police officer, we naturally know that’s a life sentence,” Flemming said. “That’s a death sentence. He doesn’t have anything but a broken taillight and he’s running from the police, and you shoot him in the back five times.”

Flemming tells WYFF News 4 body cameras and other technology has changed the judicial and law enforcement systems. Pickens County Fraternal Order of Police President JB Kelley agreed, saying accountability is at an all-time high for police officers.

“We’re held to a higher standard, and police officers should be held to a higher standard,” Kelley said. “Not knowing what his thought process was at the time when this occurred, I can’t give an opinion as far as right or wrong, because I wasn’t there.”

Kelley calls the incident a tragedy for Scott, Slager, their families, and everyone involved. Kelley notes that anyone in uniform usually operates on thorough preparation.

“That’s why as officers, we train, re-train, and train more even in our local departments,” Kelley said. “It’s like every profession. You have those who make mistakes and it brings the character and reputation of the organization to a test. When you put that uniform on, and you leave your house, then you’re letting the community who sees you in that uniform know your main concern is for their safety.”